Comfort or progress? Key career messages for YSU students

The event featured a keynote address by Sergey Usnunts, founder of Skill Event Marketing Company and producer of Career City Fest. Usnunts shared essential insights on career development, beginning with a critical question for students: whether a first employer offers genuine opportunities for advancement or simply consumes years of an employee's life.

According to Usnunts, a first employer simultaneously becomes a first manager and a first colleague. 

"A first job is generally viewed as a starting point, but it does not always provide opportunities for advancement. A first manager can unlock your potential and teach you to think critically—but can instill a sense of fear," he noted. He further emphasized that employees may be perceived differently across organizations: in some workplaces, they may thrive and develop, while in others, they may be treated merely as additional staff, causing their professional development to be sidelined.

According to Usnunts, when workplace choices prioritize convenience—such as shorter hours, proximity to home, or a light workload—this very comfort often slows career progression. Under such conditions, employees have little incentive to develop. 

"You need to make a choice: prioritize comfort, or choose a job that offers opportunities for progress, even if it comes with certain challenges," the speaker emphasized.

He noted that the first three to five years of a career are a critical period during which an employee can achieve significant milestones.

World and European Weightlifting Champion Nazik Avdalyan also shared her approach to pursuing weightlifting as a career, emphasizing that, for her, the priority was not working in a comfortable environment but the constant drive to make progress.

Astghik Mnatsakanyan, Director of the YSU Alumni and Career Center, stressed the importance of such discussions for students' career development: "While education and foundational knowledge are essential, your connection to the labor market can be strengthened through events like this."

Irina Davtyan, Project Manager at Skill Event Marketing Company and a YSU graduate, presented a video introducing the Career City Fest. Launched in 2023, Career City Fest is the region's premier annual festival of top employers and a three-time winner of the international Eventex Awards. Over the past three years, the event has brought together thousands of visitors, hundreds of speakers, and numerous companies. Recognized as the premier career event of the year, the festival serves as a hub where inspiration, industry trends, and opportunities converge for professionals of all generations.